Animal biosafety levels

The source organism P. amyloderamosa is non-pathogenic and non-toxigenic (see also section 2.2.6) and has a listing in the American Type Culture Collection as having no known potential to cause disease in humans or animals (BioSafety Level 1). 

These recommendations describe four combinations of practices, safety equipment, and facilities for experiments onanimals infected with agents which produce,ormay produce,human infection. These four combinations provide increasing levels of protection to personnel and to the environment, and are recommended as minimal standards for activities involving infected laboratory animals. These four combinations, designated Animal Biosafety Levels ABSL 1-4, describe animal facilities and practices applicable to work on animals infected with agents assigned to corresponding Biosafety Levels BSLl-4. 

Infected Animals In addition, HHS has a separate classification and standards for work with infected animals. There are four animal biosafety levels (ABSL). It follows the same biohazard safety structure as the classification scheme for infectious agents in general. However, there are additional details related to woik with animals, see Table 26-4. 

TABLE 26-4 Summary of Recommended (Animal) Biosafety Levels (ABSL) for Activities in Which Experimentally or Naturally Infected Vertebrate Animals are Used ... 

From Section V—Vertebrate Animal Biosafety Level Criteria for Vivarium Research Facilities. Biosirfety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, HHS Publication (CDC) 21-1112, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Service. National Institutes of Health, 2009. 

Laboratory Animals. The biosafety levels recommended in this column apply to activities in which naturally infected or experimentally infected animals are used, and the practices and techniques of vertebrate animal biosafety level criteria should be followed. 

It is an aerobic, gram-negative (poorly stained), nonsporing, rod-shaped bacterium. It can survive for months in tap or distilled water. It does not naturally occur in animals. The natural reservoir is water systems. This is a biosafety level 2 agent. 

It is normally found in southern and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Mediterranean, northwestern China, Africa, and the Indian subcontinent. The natural reservoirs are ticks and numerous animal species. Animals (e.g., cattle, sheep, goats, horses, pigs, hares, hedgehogs) infected with this virus usually have no clinical symptoms or suffer only a mild illness. The hemorrhagic fever is highly pathogenic and notable for aerosol transmission. This is a biosafety level 4 agent. 

It is normally found in the Caribbean, the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, the West Indies, India, and the Middle East. The natural reservoirs are humans, primates, and mosquitoes. Does not produce disease in animals. This is a biosafety level 2 (classical) or 3 (hemorrhagic) agent. Typically a fulminant, nonlethal disease however, it may progress to a hemorrhagic form. Stabile outside a host in dried blood and exudates for up to several days at room temperature. 

Is a member of the New World hemorrhagic fever viruses normally found in Brazil. The natural reservoir is the rice rat (Oryzomys) and the virus is shed in their urine. Infection occurs after inhalation of dust contaminated with excreta from infected rats or from aerosol of animal blood or fluids. Does not produce disease in animals. This is a biosafety level 3 agent. 

It is normally found in Australia and New Guinea. The natural reservoirs are mosquitoes, birds, foxes, and opossums. Mosquitoes remain infective for life. Domestic animals do not manifest clinical symptoms. This is a biosafety level 3 agent. 

It is present in most of Europe, throughout Africa, the Middle East, most of Asia, and the Americas. It is a highly lethal disease that can affect all warm-blooded animals. This is a biosafety level 2 agent unless there is a high risk of aerosol production then it should be treated as a biosafety level 3 agent. 

To prevent brucellosis, animal handlers should wear appropriate protective clothing when working with infected animals. Meat should be well-cooked milk should be pasteurized. Laboratory workers should culture the organism only with appropriate Biosafety Level 2 or 3 containment (see Chapter 19, The U.S. Biological Warfare and Biological Defense Programs, for a discussion of the biosafety levels that are used at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland). 

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